Blind
by Vinceypoo
Summary: Darren Luseppe has been left blind after an encounter with death eaters. With no family to protect him he is taken in with the Order. With the Weasely's he meets new friends and lives a new life. RonxOC. More pairings inside. -Slash-
1. Chapter 1

Well this is my first Harry Potter fic! Im writing this mainly from the perspective Darren Luseppe, an OC. This fix is going to manifest kind of organically, I don't have much planned. As of right now for pairings you can expect RonxOCxHermione. There will be some **slash**. So if you don't like that turn away now!

Im trying to keep the character's from the story IC as much as I can. If you feel like I haven't please let me know in a review! Because its something I'm constantly working with. Occuring in the summer holiday between book 5 and 6. Also, Prepare for much angst!

Rated M for future situations of Sex and Violence.

I also do not own any of the characters or original text from JK Rowling. Merely borrowing them :)

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"_We are knowing nothing of your plans! We swear it!_

"_Where is it hidden…" from a voice Darren had never heard before. His face was pressed firmly against the door, too afraid to see what awaited him on the other side._

"_The Luseppes –" he heard his mother's voice before it was quickly cut out by the unknown voice again…_

"_Crucio!" the man screamed, only followed by his mother's screams. With no sense of consequence, Darren placed his hand carefully on the side of the door opening it without a sound. The tiniest creak from the door and he had the slightest glimpse of his mother against the wall. They made eye-contact for only a moment, She screamed "NO!!"_

_And then everything went dark._

Darren woke up to a sweet yet unfamiliar smell. Letting out an instinctual grunt he turned over to his side, the warmth of the covers across his body made him never want to wake up. The mattress made a loud creak as he turned – only then was he sure he wasn't in his bed. Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes only to see the same darkness as before. He grew increasingly worried with every blink until he closed his eyes really tight…hoping for to see light. Very slowly he opened his eyes..and was greeted with the same darkness.

Bollox_…_ he whispered to himself. _"_Que est ici!_?"_ he demanded in a frantic tone. Without thinking he started to feel within his clothes for his wand, where was it? He questioned himself. He felt blind as he sifted through his clothes and the covers for his wand; a security blanket of sorts. Thankfully next to his pillow he felt it! With a sigh of relief Darren flicked his wand and muttered "_Lumos_." There were a couple of moments of confusion when he saw no light. He continued to repeat 'lumos' and 'nox' until it seemed there would be no light coming to this room.

Darren walked through the misty darkness with his hands held carefully in front of him. Each step seemed more daunting than the next. Certainly he had to be making _some_ progress. After getting slightly more confidence his stride became larger only to be halted by what had to be a dresser. "Je suis où?" he yelled desperately.

A hand touched Darren's shoulder gently causing him to jump and raise his wand toward something he could not see. "Qui êtes-vous!" Darren screamed. He was so confused – absolutdly uncertain of what was going on. Where was he? Where was his mother? "Calm dear..I don't mean to hurt you, my name is Molly Weasely. Come have some tea – I'll explain everything." There was a certain warmth about her voice that made him trust her. Darren's stomach growled at the thought of food. All he could do was simply nod quietly and allowed her to take his hand and guide him out of the room. Darren kept on waiting for the darkness to fade away with each room, but it never did. The short walk was mostly silent except for Mrs. Weasely's warnings such as "Stairs are coming up. Dip in the floor honey. Watch your head." This kept up for several minutes until finally he had found a seat. At this point Darren's thought continued to rush feverishly. Did these people live in the dark? He knew the Weaselys, he has had plenty of classes with Ron in the past, and also knew of his twin brothers. He had heard them called "Blood Traitors" on more than one occasion..but he knew that they were good people.

"Mrs. Weasely..Why am I here?" Darren asked quietly. There was a moment where he assumed she was coming up with a reply, but he couldn't help but wait to ask the one question he had been dreading. "And..Why can't I see? What's going on?" There was movement in the room but he couldn't tell who it was. Darren bit his lip as he felt his face and eyes warming up..he did not want to cry, not here. A small clinking of what sounded like a saucer and cup next to him. He could hear Mrs. Weasely pull out her seat and sit down, she took her hands in his as she began to speak.

"Well…The truth is, both me and my husband, Arthur, are part of the Order of the Phoenix. Do you know what that is?"

Darren nodded. "Bits and pieces – only from what I've heard in the prophet."

"Yes yes, so you understand the jist of it, although it certainly has been smutted by the prophet lately. You're here for protection. Your family has held something that You-know-who has been wanting for a long time, something that he hadn't considered last time. I don't know if you were aware of it or not…But you-know-who sent several Death Eaters to your family's summerhouse. We hadn't expected them to know where it was, especially with the enchantments in place. The precautions were astronomical.." The last sentence sounded melancholic. She took a very long pause until she started speaking again.

"We got there just in time for you..You were unconscious, and had a very serious injury.Unfortunately…we did not make it in time for your mother and father."

She tightened her grip on his hands and he let her. Darren felt his face heat up and tears began to form around his blue eyes. Thousands of questions began to rise up in his head, however only one seemed to be of importance..

"How did they die?"

"The killing curse….Come on now dear, Drink your tea! I'll fetch you some breakfast." Molly tried desperately to change the subject, it became apparent that this was not her forte. She spoke quickly of things that seemed to hold little significance. What else could matter, his parents weren't here anymore. He felt as though he had nothing. He still couldn't see…Why?

"Mrs Weasley…?"

"What is it dear?"

"Why can't I see?"

"..When we came you were on the ground, unconscious. Something was wrong with your eyes. You were sent to St. Mungo's immediately…however they were not able to identify a curse." Mrs. Weasely stopped for a moment, and Darren knew that she was crying.

"You're blind now, Darren."

_That's it for chapter 1! Please review :) Takes like 20 seconds and it really lets me know what people are thinking!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Still trying to establish the characters at this point! Also you'll notice there is some French in this chapter. I'm going to keep it to a minimal level because it can be difficult, especially considering most people can't read french But because there's a little extra than usual, there is going to be a legend at the bottom of the page, so if there is something that you can't understand even with context, check the bottom!_

_The relationship between Darren and Ron is going to be slow moving, so If you're interested in a really quick romance try to be patient, trust me, it will be worth it!_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"…Forever?" Mrs. Weasely's words haunted him. His sight had felt so trivial once he had heard about his parents. But now he felt as if he truly had nothing. He couldn't fight the sensation to just run away from it all."What will happen to me?"

"You're under protection of the Order now…We've discussed it in detail. You will stay with us. I know it sounds like much right now dear..But you are in extreme danger. Ifyou don't want to you to we can't force you after the holiday is over and you've returned to Hogwarts. However you will stay here until you recover, and then we'll go to Gringotts. Hopefully after the vault has been emptied of some specific items you will be a lot safer."

Darren was confused. He couldn't fathom the thought of staying with a family he had barely spoken to before. Why would they be doing this? He didn't know their families had much of a relationship, if any! From what he knew, his parents were still living in Southern France at the time of you-know-who's last reign. How could they possibly possess something that he desired?

Darren's pensive state was disrupted by a loud crash that made him jump. He looked around in vain to know where it came from but it was soon followed by laughter of what seemed like kids his age.

The voice sounded familiar, he took a guess that it was Ron. However he didn't answer. Turning around to where the sound came from he looked where he thought the sounds were, and then there was silence. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione all looked into Darren's eyes silently. They exchanged looks then looked back, the seemed to have taken a physical affect on his one dull-blue eyes. The once blue eyes had turned into a nearing gray color. His expression was blank and almost disturbing as he failed to see his three peers right in front of him. His glare had sent chills down Hermione, Ginny, and Ron's bodies.

Noticing the awkward silence, Mrs. Weasely cut in at once. "Hermione just arrived for the rest of the holiday. Harry should be coming tomorrow morning." Turning her attention to the three "Off upstairs with you three!" as Mrs. Weasely nearly shooed them upstairs.

"It's fine" Darren proclaimed. He was almost shocked at his own voice, there was a cold emptiness to it that he had never heard before. "They'll know sooner or later.." Darren's eyes began to heat up with tears causing him to blink very slowly in hopes of defeating them.

"Very well." Mrs Weasely looked at Darren, the pain he was feeling seemed to ooze over onto her as her eyes began to tear up. Shaking off the tears she nodded. "Sit down, come on!" The three of them pulled up seats as Darren continued to look forward at what one would guess was a window.

"The order has taken Darren in. Last week – "She took a long pause, searching for the right words to say in front of Darren.

"Last week several eaters broke through the combined enchantments of the Order and the Luseppe's and found themselves inside the Luseppe's summer home. Both Betrand and Camille Luseppe were killed to get an item from them. The Luseppe's have been holding something very valuable for the order…we never supposed you-know-who would think to go abroad for such a thing. We were just in time to save Darren…however there was some sort of dark magic…He was at St. Mungo's for five days and there was nothing they seemed to be able to do. He will go see Snape once you all return to Hogwarts, to find out if maybe he knows a counter-curse."

Darren heard a sound. It was purely a guess but he thought it was a palm clapping against someone's mouth. Out of pure instinct Darren looked down at the table as they started to have a conversation about him as his family, but everything seemed to have turned quiet. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see anything. His parents absorbed his thoughts. It all came crashing down with a firm pat on his shoulder that made him jump.

"C'mon mate, I'll show you around." Ron said in a care-free tone. Darren merely nodded as he pushed back on his seat and stood. Once Darren stood up he froze in fear. The overwhelming fear that you get when you're in a dark room and cant your hand infront of you…that is how he felt whenever he stood. Darren stood silently, his body shaking as confusion took over. Taking a deep breath, he walked with both arms hyper-extended in front of him like a fool.

"Watch out, there's a bump right there. This is the sitting room. We don't really go in here much. If you walk out just a little bit there's the den, and then the garden. Here lets go to you're room, you'll be bunking with me. When Harry gets here he'll have Ron and George's room." Darren nodded trying to take in all of this information. In truth…He had no idea where Ron was showing him.

Ron began to walk up ahead without really considering Darren. He was nearly at the stairs before realizing it. He took a quick jog back Darren and took Darren's hand in his as they both walked up the stairs. Darren was speechless and kind of confused. The sensation around his hand was different than he'd ever felt before. Even though it was such a simple getsture the warmth from Ron's hand was something he'd never felt before, it simply _radiated_ heat from his hand all the way up his arm.

"This is kinda embarrassing..but you're Ron right? Its hard to tell..voices ya know." The beginning of his sentence went from cheerful to somewhat moroes.

Ron grinned to himself "Yea mate, Its Ron. Hermione and Ginny are walking with us too." After this both Ginny and Hermione gave him cordial hello's

"Yea and Phlegm is upstairs. Her and Charlie are staying here for a couple of days, so she can meet the family and all. Harry will be here tomorrow."

"Phlegm? Who's that?" Darren asked.

"Fleur De'lacour. You probably remember her, she was in the tri-wizard tournament." Hermione interjected.

"Oh…Fleur is a distant cousin of mine. We never talked or saw each other much..only at formal occasions. Most of the pureblood families are related in one way or another."His last statement he said quietly – as if ashamed. But then Darren laughed at the thought of calling her Phlegm, how creative and oddly accurate.

"What!?" Both Ginny and Ron said in unison. Ron opened his mouth as if to say something when he was interrupted by a wordless shriek, and then Fleur running down the stairs toward Darren. "Darren!"

"Comment allez-vouz!?" She placed her hands on Darren's face looking deeply into his emotionless eyes. "C'est moi. Fleur." She took a long silence "Vos yuex.."

Darren smiled, but it was more for his cousin's sake than his. Her reaction had caught him off guard. They had barely spoken before, why was she so distraught over this? Were his eyes such an abomination? A flare of anger rose up in him before he calmed himself and shushed Fleur for comfort. "Ça va. Tout va bien. Oprosti..je suis fatigué" he comforted her before seeking escape upstairs.

Darren faced toward Ron, just realizing they had been holding hands this entire time. He could have sworn he blushed, but he could never tell. Letting go of Ron's hand he asked "Could you show me where I'm sleeping? I'm very tired." Ron merely nodded –Walking slowly so Darren could follow his foot steps. After getting to what Darren could only assume was where he would be sleeping, he could feel hands gently guiding him until he felt the cold steel of the cott set up for him. Then Darren sat, with a heavy sigh as he heard Hermione come in.

"I don't understand Fleur..I think we've spoken maybe five times in our lives"

"Probably trying to keep up her perfect image I imagine." Said Hermione scathingly. Darren heard rustling movement on the wooden floor ; he wondered if she had sat down.

"Yea..I've been thinking, is there really room for me here? There are so many people visiting.."

"Ye' we'll make do, don't worry. It'll get tight here I reckon once Harry comes tomorrow, but I'm sure mum has a plan. We'll only be here 'bout a week until we head back to Hogwarts anyway."

Darren broke out into a sad smile as the looming thoughts preoccupied his mind. He was suddenly carrying an intense guilt. "You guys really don't need to sit here and talk to me, its really fine! Ill be out of your hair in no time." Both Ron and Hermione opened their mouths but as usual Hermione beat Ron to the chase.

"Darren we're glad to have you around! I'm sure Ron will agree. I was thinking..maybe we could even practice magic somehow, find out ways around this..setback."

"_Setback?_" Darren said with such intense heat he was surprised at himself. "I can't see anything, I don't even know where I am. I don't know how on earth I could trust myself using my wand? I don't even know if they'll let me back into Hogwarts."

"Dumbledore wouldn't allow it, especially after what your family has done. I wouldn't worry about it..Your body will learn to.._adjust_."

Ron gave Hermione a look that said "Drop it." With a roll of her eyes she did. Both Ron and Hermione began to argue about O.W.Ls and it sounded like Hermione was going through conniptions. Their bickering reminded Darren how tired he really was. Without even saying anything, he lied down and began to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

After entering the Burrow with an escort from Dumbledore, Harry began to walk up the stairs toward Fred and George's old room. There was a series of 'clunks' with each step as his trunk followed obediently behind him. Before reaching Fred and George's room he chose to peak into Ron's to see if he was still awake. After seeing the light he abandoned his trunk and turned the corner to see both Hermione and Ron sitting on the floor, talking in deep detail about something. It even took them both a moment to realize Harry was at the door. Realizing his presence Hermione almost yelled "Harry!" and ran up to him with a big hug.

"How are you?" asked Hermione excitedly.

Ron waved at Harry casually "Hey Harry. How were the muggles?"

"Eh..They were the same. They didn't talk to me much, but I like it that way. How have you guys been?" said Harry.

"Its been a bloody mess here! Fleur and Charlie are visiting, and mum can't stand Fleur. Been making all of our lives miserable because of it. It's been kind of odd.."Ron motioned to the body on the bed next to him with a slight nod of his head. "And then there's that.."

"He is not a _that_ Ron!" Hermione whispered with strong intent.

"I know I know, _he_ isn't a that, just the situation. Been kind of odd with him around, I'm not sure how to act. I feel bad for the bloke."

"Who is he..exactly? And why is he here?" Asked Harry. He was obviously confused with their vague argument and the seeming corpse-like person on the mattress next to Ron's.

"Umm, Its Darrel. Darrell Luseppe." Hermione explained.

"Yea, From Gryffindor. The bloke from France. The order had to place him under protection last week. Death eaters killed both his parents…and ..well." Ron stopped for a second, not really sure how to explain it, so he left it and waited for Hermione to better explain.

"The order came just in time to save him, but they were torturing him. It was some sort of dark magic but it seems like Darren is…blind. Its awful Harry, you should see his face, I've never seen someone look so defeated. I know we never talked to him much, but he was always nice and friendly, just more reserved. I think we should try to help him. Do you reckon he'll be able to do magic still? I've never read of a blind witch or wizard.." Hermione looked pensive after her little speech, and then buried herself in a book that neither Harry nor Ron could read the title.

"I dunno, I haven't read about one..but we all know you're the one that does the reading Hermione" Harry said with a grin.

Desperate to change the topic Hermione turned to Harry. "Harry! Tell us Dumbledore told you."

And with that the three stood up way past their bed time until Mrs. Weasely interfered with much yelling that seemed to wake up the entire house. Everyone had retired to their beds including Ron. His bare feet patted against the hard word floors of the room as he began to disrobe for bed. Taking off both shirt and trousers Ron sat on the edge of his bed as he put his clothes onto the ground. A lot had changed since he first started at Hogwarts. Looking at his physique, it was apparent the changes weren't only of the mental realm. He had grown significantly taller than Harry, and all of the chores his Mum had him doing during Summer and Winter holiday caused him to bulk up a bit, something that most wizards don't manage because they can use their wands for everything. Without giving this more than a second's thought he went into bed and pulled the covers over him as he heard a small whimper from Darren as he shifted in his sleep.

"Hey, Darren?" Ron asked, not sure if the boy was awake or not.

"Yea?" came from Darren's mouth. He sounded thick with sleep.

"If you ever need _anything_, tell me, a'right?"

"Alright.." Darren muttered quietly…and then both boys fell asleep with a smile on their face.

_LEGEND_

_Yeux - Eyes_

_C'est moi - Its me_

_Tout va bien - Everything is Fine_

_Oprosti - Im Sorry_

_Je suis fatigué - Im sleepy  
_

Once again please review with any thoughts it'd be so appreciated! :)


	3. Chapter 3

_So this is where the plot really starts moving! Up until now I've been trying to stay pretty accurate with the story of HFP. This chapter is when I begin to stray away and develop a plot of my own. Also, The romance aspects between Ron and Darren really start to form. More pairings will begin to reveal themselves as the plot escalates. Thanks to the people that are keeping up with the story thus far, I really appreciate your support and reviews! :)_

**Chapter 3**

Molly Weasely lead what seemed to be a pack of wizards and witches toward platform 9 and 3 quarters

Molly Weasely lead what seemed to be a pack of wizards and witches toward platform 9 and 3 quarters. "Come on now! We're late! The platform is just this way!" as she waved toward the bunch of them. Both Hermione and Darren were thick in conversation about rights for goblins in the wizarding world. Hermione was turning red as she zealously attacked the Ministry for persecuting Goblins and House Elves. "Hermione!" Mrs. Weasely nearly screamed. "Watch what you say!" in a clenched whisper. Darren kept his arm intertwined with Hermione's as they walked in unison. A mere week at the Weasely's had really changed his relationship with the three. Especially Ron and Hermione. Darren was friendly with Harry but could tell Harry had something pressing on his mind, and Darren was not one to pry.

Security for the group of students was shocking. The ministry appointed 15 aurors in total however only about 6 were visible to the students. Darren knew there were four assigned to watch Harry and two to watch himself. The idea of it at first was really confusing. Why on earth would he need such an escort? Darren was still convinced that no one was after him. He was far too unimportant. Darren had let go of Hermione's arm and continued to walk toward platform 9 and three quarters. Mrs. Weasely's voice had grown silent which was highly out of character for her. Darren stopped dead in his tracks ; a small sweat growing on his back as the nerves began to take over. Muggles were bumping into him from every direction – His fear kept him paralyzed in place. Darren began to look around desperately hoping for some miracle that would allow him to see where he was.

"Ron! Hermione!" Darren yelled nervously .While in a week he had made progress that he would never be able to function alone. Darren's eyes were hot with tears when he heard a familiar voice and a hand placed in between his shoulderblades. Ron spoke quietly "C'mon you dork, You walked right past mum." He said with a laugh. Darren laughed and walked where Ron guided him. Darren tried to wipe the tears away from his eyes without Ron noticing. Apparently he failed because Ron asked "Hey mate…were you crying?" Darren put on a face of shock and awe toward Ron that caused him to let out an innocent laugh. "I wasn't crying" Darren pouted.

"Okay Luseppe. You go" Moody demanded. Darren Luseppe walked through what he knew to be a concrete pillar and could suddenly hear a rush of noises. His brain had a hard time piecing together all of the sounds. There were dozens of children and parents, the howling of the Hogwarts express, there had to be at least 20 owls near him hooting. Darren waited until he was confident that Hermione had entered the platform, then he called her name once in hopes that she would hear over all the noise.

"Yea Darren?" Hermione made it a question.

"Do you think…I could just ignore the Prefect badge until I get to the school? I don't think I'm in the right state to help...I'll only be an inconvenience."

"You wouldn't be an--"

"I know I know. But I'd just like to wait until I can talk to McGonagall. They may even want to revoke it, I wouldn't blame them."

Darren could tell from the silence that she wanted to argue but had given up on the topic. She dismissed it with a simple 'Alright.' Ron and Hermione told Harry and Darren they'd meet up after the both of them had patrolled the cards. Without looking toward Harry Darren asked, "Well Harry, lets find a car then?"

"Yea, sure." Harry nodded absent mindedly.

Using a thin cane he had purchased Darren tapped back and forth around the stone floor. Every so often there would be the unfortunate first year that would trip and fall over it. Darren wasn't entirely convinced that this helped him "see" but he promised Hermione he would practice. With very little success Harry and Darren eventually found a car with two people, Darren wasn't sure who was in the car with him but he was too afraid to ask.

"Everyone wants to hang around with us now Harry. Its because of that night last year." Neville said excitedly.

"Yea I s'pose." Harry said awkwardly. To be honest he was sick of the attention and he knew there would only be more of it now that the prophet was calling him the 'chosen one.'

Their conversation came to yet another interruption. This time it was from an eruption of giggles from outside the car. Darren had been silent up until that point where the sounds confused him. Darren's sense of space was entirely dependant on his sense of touch and sound. When sounds like this began he couldn't figure out where he was and where the surrounding sounds were coming from. "Harry, Who's here?" Darren asked staring straight forward at Luna, who seemed to be unbothered by it.

"I'm...Not sure. There are a bunch of girls." Harry said.

As he said this Darren could hear the car door open with an eruption of giggles. Then a girl's voice he found entirely unfamiliar. "I'm Romilda Vane! You should come to our car…there is _better_ company there."

"These are my friends" Harry said with distinct warning in his voice.

Without another word Romilda and company had obviously left.

"Harry that was fantastic!" Neville beamed

"Ah it was no problem..I don't know what she was playing at"

"I wonder what its like for Ron and Hermione. Prefects and all..It might change how they look at things." Darren made an observation. Rather curious himself…He still didn't feel like a Prefect yet, maybe he would eventually.

"Aren't you a Prefect too, Darren?"

Darren shrugged "Yea, I guess I am."

"Dunno, I hope they come back soon though." Harry couldn't have done a Summoning charm that would have worked better, because with that both Ron and Hermione came into the car bickering. Darren felt something really warm sit beside him. The car was a bit packed with everyone in there leading Ron and Darren to be a little crunched together. Darren was confused at his own relief as Ron's leg touched his own. Dismissing the thought he turned to Ron, "How was it?" Darren asked.

"It was kind of crazy to be honest. I didn't know what I was doing. Hermione confiscated one of Fred and George's joke-wands though! What do you plan on doing once you get back to Hogwarts? Talk to Mcgonagall?"

"Yea..I planned on it atleast. We'll see how everything works out. I really can't wait to get back though, I miss lessons."

"Blimey..You're just as bad as Hermione."

Hermione shot him a scathing look but Ron chose to ignore it. His attention turned to a girl carrying two pieces of parchment she handed one to Harry and held one in front of Darren who was sitting there oblivious to it all. Both Hermione and Ron grinned until Hermione grabbed the parchment and went to hand it to Darren, but corrected her faux pas before it was too late.

"Darren, there's a message for you on this parchment. Do you want me to read it?" Hermione asked.

Darren frowned as his pride took a hit. He quickly recovered and nodded with a smile, "Yea that'd be great."

Darren could hear the unrolling of parchment. Her hands flattened out the parchment and he could hear her take a breath before she even spoke. "Its an invitation.." Hermione explained as she was obviously reading it "Professor Slughorn, to have lunch in his car with him and "some others". I've heard some things about him.

"Harry is that the new professor you…" Darren stopped himself in case Harry didn't want it revealed. "Told me about?"

"Yea that's him. I got an invitation too. I guess we should go, eh?"

"May as well… Why does he want to see us you reckon?" Darren asked.

"Dumbledore said he liked to pick his favorites. With Harry being _The Chosen One_, and he probably knows how influential your parents were in France." Said Hermione.

Harry shot her a look and Hermione quickly apologized "You know we don't think of you like that Harry. But a lot of people feed into what the prophet says."

Both Harry and Darren let out sighs in unison as they got up and headed outside of the car. Darren's objections to physical contact had lessened dramatically in the past two weeks. He placed his hand carefully on Harry's shoulders and grabbed a small piece of the shirt to help guide him. As they walked the noise was almost unbearable. The closed-in train hallways made the sound bounce in a weird way that began to give him aheadache. At first Harry had felt a bit uncomfortable when Darren had touched him as a guide, but he had quickly gotten used to it. As they passed the Slytherin car Malfoy yelled in their direction "Hey Potter! Is that your boyfriend?" the entire car bursted into laughter.

Darren felt Harry tense up at the joke and decided to let go of his shirt and walked carefully behind him. Darren started to look down and focus on his cane which carefully bounced back and forth between the walls. Lately his body had gone through a bizarre transformation that he couldn't begin to explain. Each time his walking-stick hit the wall it was as if he could see again. The vibrations in his hand let him know when he was walking too fast or too slow. If he could feel it brush against the denim of Harry's trousers he needed to take a step back. All of this was a bizarre realization and he still needed to get used to it. But the idea of being able to see – even if it wasn't with his eyes- was exhilarating.

Harry looked back and had noticed Darren pulled back after Malfoy's comment. Thinking of what he should say, he was interrupted by the booming voice of Slughorn, "Well Hello Harry! About time you get here! Come now come now. Who's behind you?" Harry had a look of surprise as he saw Ginny sitting there, but he chose to take a seat next to her while Darren stood there silently. He had a feeling everyone was staring him.

"I'm Darren Luseppe, Professor."

"Ahhh it's a pleasure! I only got the honor of meeting your parents once. Quite the pair they were, I bet then owned at least half of Southern France! About recent events…I'm genuinely sorry. It was a huge loss to the wizarding world.

"Yea..Me too" Darren said quietly. He had gotten quite used to people ignoring the fact that his parents had been recently killed. Actually, he quite liked it that way. Having it being brought up again made him awfully uncomfortable and cause everything to be that much more real. "Come now, Have a seat boy! We're all here to relax after all." Slughorn suggested. It felt very bittersweet the fact that most people did not know he was blind. He must have been doing something right, and that it hadn't become common knowledge. However…that means even more people he had to explain it to, each time the subject came up his mood turned grim. Having stood there for about 20 seconds after Slughorn pushed him to take a seat. Darren heard a small patting of the leather seats and Ginny said "You can sit here, Darren." Her voice had a friendly and airy tone; somewhat similar to Luna's. The small sound gave him a sense of direction as he took several very uncertain steps toward the seat and carefully sat down, whispering "Thank you" to Ginny.

Darren sat quietly while Horace started to introduce everyone to Harry and himself.

"Now you know everyone? Blaise Zabini is in you're year, you two have probably crossed paths. Cormac Mclaggen, His father works for the ministry." Slughorn continued to list off people that were sitting next to them. Darren lost count at 6 others besides Ginny.

Darren's thoughts rushed again at the mention of his family. He had been told he was a spitting image of his father throughout his entire life. Standing at just shy of six feet, Darren had walnut colored hair similar to his mother. It was shortly cut, however just long enough in the back where one could see little curls fighting desperately tobe seen. Darren had been told on many times (Mostly as a child) about the color of his eyes.Once a deep blue, they had the habit of turning to a hue of aquamarine when he was reall tired. Darren still wasn't aware of the physical changes his eyes had undergone due to the dark magic. The once rich blue was now a lifeless gray that seemed to capture the attention of strangers. While everyone at the burrow saw the change they had chosen not to tell him yet. It seemed as though no one had the heart to bring Darren back to a low once he started to smile again. All of his thoughts were interrupted by Slughorn's deep voice.

"Well then" as Professor Slughorn clapped his hands together. "Now I s'pose we can all get to know each other now eh?"

Slughorn started with Neville. He asked him questions such as "What's your favorite subject?" Has your Gran' ever told you the story about your parents and I trying to sneak into Borgin and Burkes when we were only 5th years?" Slughorn laughed at his own story before he even got the opportunity to tell it. Everyone in the room seemed to realize that Slughorn had decided to measure up Neville's abilities to that of his parents. However he began to quickly lose interest and turned to the next student, which, to his dismay, was Darren.

"Now then! Darren, I just say I'm pleased to meet you. I had heard some rumors that you wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts but going back to Beauxbatons. So you decided to stay?"

"Yes. We felt that I would be safer at Hogwarts. I also much prefer Hogwarts, to work on my English as well."

"Ah yes. Brilliant parents you had. Your mother blew me away when I attended a lecture of hers on the Singling and Destruction of Curses in Limbs. The things she could do with a wand..Things I have seen no healer ever do! No wonder she was appointed head of St. Adrienne's. That's the French parallel to St. Mungo's if any of you didn't know." He explained to the rest of the students. Slughorn stopped speaking for a moment and carefully examined Darren – who had a blank stare on his face. "Am I boring you Darren? You seem to be very interested in that empty car seat! Slughorn let out a booming laugh at his own joke.

Both Harry and Ginny sat very still. You could hear a dime drop in the car once Slughorn was done laughing at his own joke.

"Not at all sir, You have my full attention." Darren explained, he couldn't keep the confused tone from his voice. He couldn't decide whether or not he should come out and say it. Choosing the more political answer he said "I just can't see."

"Can't see? The lighting is fine here." Slughorn commented. There was something in Slughorn's tone of voice that was either offended or confused.

"No you see..Im blind now." Darren said in an unreadable tone. Darren heard what sounded to be a gasp from the students in the car. However for the most part it was complete silence. The tension in the room could have easily been cut with a knife. Professor Slughorn seemed lost for words for a moment. Working at a quick recovery he glanced outside and the looming darkness, and then took the pocket watch and his eyes opened considerably. "Rotten luck, but you all should go get into your robes. Looks like we'll be arriving soon. Darren come to my office before classes start. And Harry!" Professor Slughorn turned to Harry with a smile from ear to ear. "We'll have to catch up again! Stop by any time you're near my office, and that goes for all of you!." Harry unleashed an awkward smile that turned into a grimace as they all entered Slughorn's compartment to get their robes on.

After Harry and Darren separated with Ginny as she went to sit with Dean. After arriving in their car Hermione asked "How was it?" curiously. "Uhm, kind of odd. It was like you said ,a bunch of prats who have really well connected parents " said Harry.

"Ginny was there too" Darren said in a near whisper.

"Wha!?" Ron bellowed, clearly outraged.

"Professor Slughorn said he saw Ginny hex Zacharias Smith. I guess he was really impressed. Really Ron, you didn't miss anything. I wish he was invited. Slughorn seems to really be out for 'Arry though." Darren said, with a playful grin on his face. Harry had replied with a non-committal grunt as his thoughts loomed elsewhere,

"Darren, Ron, we need to get ready to show the first years about"

"Aw yea, I forgot about that…" as Ron stood up followed soon after by Darren.

"See you Harry" said all three as they left the car.

Ron, Darren, and Hermione made their way to one of the four exits of the Hogwarts express. The three Gryffindor prefects had been assigned to the fourth exit which consequently was right near Malfoy and the majority of Slytherin. Ron cringed at the thought of having to deal with all of them as prefects. The three of them had been sitting in silence for a couple of minutes when Ron chose to break it saying "Why do we need to show the first years anyway? Its less than a minutes walk."

"Remember how terrified we were when we were first years? It will only take a couple of minutes anyway." Hermione said lecturing him.

"But I'm hungry…" Ron complained.

Darren smiled. He had found it really cute. After a couple of seconds of surprising silence from Hermione, Darren chimed in "But you're _always_ hungry." Both Hermione and Ron laughed. They all continued to make jokes much to Ron's dismay. "It's not a problem! I'm a growing boy" Ron pouted, crossing his arms as the train slowly began to reach a halt. After only a couple moments Darren took hold of the railing. The cold iron played with his hand as he waited anxiously. He could remember there were three steps to the ground, just in case he tumbled.

Darren could hear Hermione busy muttering to herself about something, probably the steps to lead the first years, he thought. Then Darren felt a familiar warm aura near him and Ron said quietly "How come you don't hold my shoulder when you walk anymore?" The question seemed innocent enough, but it was Ron's tone that confused Darren. Of course Darren could be mistaken – but he swore there was a feeling of regret in his voice. "Malfoy made fun of Harry when I did it...I don't want that to happen to you too. Really, its fine." Darren explained as he tried valiantly to keep the neutrality in his voice. Ron shuffled about uncomfortably. Darren could not tell, but Ron had turned a bright shade of pink.

"What if I …like it when you do that?"

It took Darren a couple of seconds to realize what Ron had just said – and once he did he could feel the heat rushing up toward his cheeks and new he would probably have rosy cheeks as well. Darren felt Ron's warmth almost cover his body. Although they were not touching, that radiating…feeling. Aura was the only way Darren could use to describe it. Then he felt that warmth cover his hands. "Then…You do this." Ron took that hand and put it over his further shoulder so that both of their bodies were touching. Darren had a smile that he couldn't take off his face, and closed his eyes at the warmth all over his body. It took a moment but Darren soon realized the warmth was not only on his body, but a really deep feeling in his chest he could not identity.

"Its okay, I'm smiling too." Ron whispered into Darren's ear. The sensation of it made Darren's body shudder.

"Come _on_ you two!" Hermione interrupted. The doors of the train howling as they opened.


	4. Chapter 4

_Well this is Chapter 4! Here things really start to escalate and I feel like the story begins. I don't want to say much and ruin the story, But please review, it makes it much more encouraging to write! :P The next update may take a bit longer with finals, But I'll try my best to make it speedy._

**Chapter 4**

Darren kept his arm tight and snug around Ron's should as they walked down the three steps in unison. He could feel a strong sense of ease once his feet had connected with the concrete. He began to use the walking stick and tapping back and forth. Darren could feel the rough concrete scraping against the edge of the stick with every tap. It was only when the concrete seemed to disappear and the stone floor took its place did Darren know that they were at the right spot. He stopped, arm trailing off of Ron's shoulder onto his lower back as they stopped walking. "This should be a good spot, right?" Darren asked.

Both Ron and Hermione looked at Darren with surprise on their faces. Hermione grew a little teary and sad "Yea, this is perfect." "What's your problem?" Ron whispered to Hermione as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm just happy he seems to be able to get around without help now…" she said in a hushed whisper. Ron nodded in agreement with a small grin. Both Hermione and Darren raised their wands above their heads almost near unison as two bulbs of light protruded from the tip of their wands. "First years this way please" Hermione yelled toward the younger looking students exiting the train.

"You know, you two scare me sometimes" Ron said looking at them both. Darren and Hermione gave him a quizzical look – but she soon yelled "First years, this way please!" After about a twenty minute wait they had gathered around the first years. The three of them lead the first years toward the docks as Hermione dryly explained "As first years you'll be getting to Hogwarts by boat, however the rest of the students typically arrive by carriage. Hagrid will take you to the castle where you'll meet a professor who will take you to the great hall." Darren and Ron walked in silence and let her do the talking for both of them as they often did.

"I don't want to follow that prefect. He'll probably lead us right off the docks!" a first year told his friend in a rotten tone. Just in ear shot of the three prefects. Since he had been cursed there were people who were shocked and treated him..differently, but never had he been made fun of for it. Ron felt Darren go very still next to him. Darren had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he could not control. The feeling of it was overwhelming, he felt as though he would throw up. Hermione turned around with a look as though something pierced her heart. She pursed her lips, fury in her eyes. With a tip of her wand that same first year seemed to stumble on his own feet and fall head first into the lake. There were dozens of gasps and giggles as the scrambled back onto the wood docks, his robes soaking with water. "Please watch where you stand, If someone who is blind can manage to stay dry I hope you could." Hermione said bitingly, hoping to find a smile on Darren's face but it was still cold and intentionally devoid of emotion.

After the students had been ushered out the three of them walked toward the carriages. Ron and Hermione didn't dare say a word on their way to Hogwarts, worried that they would make Darren's mood even grimmer.

Everyone had reached the great hall and had taken seats with their allotted houses. There was laughter about and everyone seemed rather excited for the first feast of the year to begin. Ron had been talking excitedly about the bread pudding that the house elves put out annually. The combined noise of the conversations had given Darren the familiar headache that he often felt in similar situations. After he had lost his sight he found himself relying much more on his hearing. Once his hearing was taken over by so much stimulus it reupted in an obnoxious headache. And not only that, but it also made it much more difficult for Darren to understand his surroundings. The chatter from everyone seemed to slow down and then reached a level of complete silence. Darren merely blinked with a confused expression.. He wanted to ask Ron, Hermione, or Harry but he was still in a dismal mood about the comment earlier.

The silence was then broken by Dumbledore's eloquent voice "I'd like to wish everyone welcome to their return this term, and for those of you just arriving, a special welcome to Hogwarts." Dumbledore gave them a welcoming gesture before continuing with his speech. "Before we get started, I would like to make a few announcements. First of all, Professor Filch would like to remind you that all Weasely products are to be used with caution, and are most likely banned. All incoming and outgoing mail will be pre-screened with secrecy sensors. With that said, I would like to describe our change in staffing this year! I hope you all give your sincerest welcomes to Professor Horace Slughorn, who will be returning to his old position as Potions Master, and Professor Snape as Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. Let us all wish them the best of luck."

There were whispers throughout the great hall. From Darren's view, Harry seemed to be the most outraged. It was no secret that he and Professor Snape did not get along. "What!? No!" Harry pleaded with no one in particular. The whispers quickly subsided as Dumbledore had apparently given an allotted time for the whispers before he started to speak again.

"And before we begin the feast, I would like to give one last warning. As many of you have heard, I would like to clear up that Lord Voldemort –" during Dumbledore's speech Darren felt Ron shudder from next to him. "Has indeed returned. Regardless of what the prophet states I would like that knowledge to be known to each and every one of you. Because of this…There will be increased security measures taken in order to maintain the level of safety at Hogwarts. Not only this but you must all take certain measures upon yourself. We are heading into dark times, and now is when you must have people in which you can rely on, and trust. With these two things you will find no obstacle unbeatable. And with that…I wish you all to enjoy!" Dumbledore finished with a smile across his face. And one wave of his hand hundreds of plates filled with food littered the tables of the great hall.

Darren sat awkwardly as he could tell all of the people around him were picking up food. He went through all of the situations in his head how he could get food on his plate without having to ask anyone. He was still awfully sour about what had happened earlier and was determined to not ask for help. Darren didn't have time to carry out his plan before he heard a clunk on his plate. "You seemed to be having trouble, there's some 'tatoes –" A flash of anger showed across Darren's face. He let out a sigh and said "You know, I'm not helpless." Darren got up from the table and began to furiously walk out of the great hall. He flipped out his wand and muttered Extentia as his wand extended several feet so he could tap it similar to the walking stick. Darren began to count the taps from his seat to the end of the great hall. On the way there he thought he counted 76. Once he reached 70 he grew much more careful and felt around the stone walls as the sounds of the great hall began to grow farther and farther.

"What did I do?" Ron said in an annoyed tone. "All I was trying to do was help" as he stabbed a sausage angrily with his fork and began eating. Hermione looked at Ron carefully. "I bet its really hard for him. I can't even imagine how it must feel for him to be entirely dependant on other people. And on top of that, not having any idea what's going on around him. Frankly…I'm surprised this is the first time he's snapped." Ron looked at Harry pleadingly, and Harry just shrugged. "I actually agree with Hermione. I'd be bloody angry in his situation."

Hermione added "Not to say that he's right in snapping at you…I don't think its something you did."

Ron thought carefully for a little bit until he came out and said, "Should I go after him?"

Shaking her head, Hermione said with certainty "No give him time. We're all in the same house, you'll see him soon anyway."

Ron just nodded as he poked at his food somberly, suddenly without appetite.

Darren made his way clumsily up the stairs of Hogwarts. He clung desperately to the stone walls. The sensation of the coarse stone tickled his fingers yet to no avail told him where he was. With a deep sigh Darren continued to walk up the staircase as thoughts raced across his mind. The frustration was intense. He couldn't navigate something as simple as the Gryffindor common room, which had he been hundreds of times in the past six years. And then his thoughts went to Ron. An immediate feeling of guilt covered his stomach as it began to sink. He'd need to apologize later. With that Darren took a seat at the end of what felt like a single floor and wiped the frustrated tears from his eyes when he heard a familiar voice.

"While I envy your curiosity of the comfort level of stairs, perhaps you should come with me Darren?" Dumbledore said in a cheery tone.

Darren blinked several times before getting up and gaining a firm hold on the railing. Dumbledore stayed quiet except for humming a tune that Darren couldn't identify. In all truth Darren had no clue where he was. He could only assume that they were heading to the headmaster's office but he chose to ask anyway. "Headmaster, where are we going?" "Oh we'll find out in due time. I have some things to talk to you about." Darren nodded and continued to follow the humming of Dumbledore. He heard sounds of the great hall as they passed, and was suddenly very embarrassed. Trying to imagine how foolish he must look as he clung to the wall while following Dumbledore. The thought was painful and Darren tried to dismiss it. "You know, It is only recently that I found one of the treasures of muggle cuisine. And that is cotton candy." Dumbledore chimed as Darren could hear a door opening. As they both walked forward Darren quickly discovered the spiraling staircase as they both strided up the stairs Darren chose not to comment on Dumbledore's very peculiar comment.

Darren stumbled once they had entered the office on what he assumed could be a desk.

"Its quite alright Darren, take a seat."

Darren prepared to give Dumbledore a dirty glare until something pushed against his legs, causing him to fall backwards and be pushed aggressively forward. Darren let out a sound between a grunt and a yell as the wind swept his face for mere moments until it stopped abruptly, nearly throwing him off the chair. Darren held onto the arms of his chair fiercely as if it would go flying once again. He finally began to relax just slightly when Dumbledore began talking.

"As I'm sure you have already guessed, I'm here to talk to you about the events that occurred this summer. I'm certain you have heard numerous times of the exceptional skill and talent of your parents, but I am not as concerned with this, but your parents loyalty and character. In truth, I am here to tell you something I may regret explaining. But…Your parents knew their death was forthcoming." Dumbledore began to explain. His tone remained cheerful which originally irked Darren. Darren chose to stay quiet – sure that Dumbledore would further explain.

"There was a prophecy. This prophecy entailed " Dumbledore took a slight pause as he prepared to quote "Protectors of a great secret carried for many will meet their end." Before Dumbledore was able to explain his last thought Darren asked the question that had been eating away at him all this time.

"What is the secret? And why my parents? Voldemort is a problem for Britain not France." The heat of Darren's words surprised himself. However Dumbledore was seemingly unphased.

"Now…This is the time for apologies. I cannot explain to you the secret now. But I can only promise that you will find out in due time. And as for why your parents chose to take such a great risk on themselves was…" Dumbledore had to wait a moment, then chose to be upfront. Yet Darren noticed his tone had changed just slightly "As a favor to me." Darren tried but could not keep the pain from his eyes. So many emotions had crossed through him in mere moments. He considered hating Dumbledore but didn't have the time to finish his thoughts before Dumbledore continued.

"I understand you probably hate me right now. And I would not blame you. I have no excuses. In truth I made a very grave mistake, something that I seem to be making a lot of lately." Dumbledore glanced at his hand which was now looking even more aged, and more disturbing; a deep black. During his speech in the great hall there had been gasps once it had been viewed. However it had obviously gone unnoticed by Darren.

"As I was saying. I asked your parents for a favor for many reasons. Being abroad I felt as thought they were beyond Lord Voldemort's reach. They had been given every protection possible – as well as their own made protection. Which I'm sure you know your father better than I did, you would know he placed enchantments the castle that even Lord Voldemort had not seen. However it seems your parents wished to prolong their life which is why you were all at the summer home which was kept incredibly secret. I was not even aware of its location, nor any of the order. We were only notified by a charm your mother had made notifying me once her…death was ensured. This is why we were able to rescue you in time to prevent the death eaters from causing you further harm. We still do not know how the Dark Lord discovered your location, it is something that haunts me to this day."

Dumbledore had stopped talking and pacing about his desk and chose to take a seat. He folded his hands calmly and looked at the student in front of him. Darren stared at something Dumbledore knew he couldn't see. Tears had been brewing in Darren's how grey eyes. After about a minute of silence Darren had confused even himself. No matter how badly he wanted to hate Dumbledore he simply could not. He knew that his parents had done this of choice, and were more than willing to accept the consequences for their actions. Darren felt the same way he did when he awoke in the Weasely's the first time. Hundreds of questions. It was at a point in which he couldn't choose what to ask.

"Why was I sent to the Weasely's? I've had a hard time believing it was to be with my peers from the beginning." Darren asked quietly, almost in a whisper. He chose to avoid the subject of his parents for the time being.

"An interesting question." Dumbledore said. He almost sounded proud as he said it.

"There are things that will happen in the future, things that you will find yourself connected to three specific students. Those students I'm sure you know whom I'm referring to. These events I cannot determine, however the sorting hat has a habit of changing its decisions based on certain events. In truth, you hold nearly all of the aspects found in a true Ravenclaw. However you were sorted in Gryffindor? It is true you hold some traits, however it is my belief that the sorting hat has insight that I do not. Of course all of this is speculative, but I can only act upon my instincts."

Darren just nodded. He hadn't expected an answer like that. "I'm very confused." Darren said.

"I suggest you get used to it, I've been confused for forty years now" Dumbledore said smiling. "Now, your sight. You will still be attending all classes you choose." Dumbledore stopped speaking for a moment. Darren could not tell but he had taken his wand out of his robe and with a small flick, a parchment appeared in Dumbledore's hands. Darren heard Dumbledore unrolling parchment when he began to speak again "So it seems you have received O's in every subject, with the exception of Care of Magical Creatures. Because of this, you have much freedom in your choice of subjects."

"But Professor…I can't see. How am I supposed to take classes if I can't read?" Darren asked. Darren's frustration was more than evident from his tone.

"There are certainly ways around this. Now I hope you don't misunderstand me. You will have to work harder than many of your peers. I highly suggest speaking to Professor McGonagall for extra lessons." The latter request seemed slightly bizarre to Darren. Since this seemed to be a very open discussion, Darren chose to ask.

" What are the ways around it? And…Why sir, ask Professor McGonagall? I doubt she'll have time to help me…" Darren looked down as he said it.

"I wouldn't underestimate Professor McGonagall's loyalty to her house. I highly suggest seeking her out during your choosing of your classes tomorrow morning. As for finding ways around this slight…handicap…There are many spells that go forgotten because of lack of use. Of course, many wizards find little reason to use such spells, because quite obviously, they can see. However I have thought about this situation deeply. Do you know what a familiar is, Darren?"

The question had caught Darren off guard. In seconds he began to probe his brain for the word familiar. As a child he had heard stories about familiars however it seemed to mostly be fairy tales. Muggle Studies has explained that muggles had displayed many witches to have a familiar. This familiar was often a toad or a pet cat.

"Mostly from fairy tales. I know Muggles think that all witches have a familiar, similar to a pet with special properties." Darren said in a similar tone that he would use when answering a question in class.

"An answer to rival Ms. Granger." Darren could hear the smile in Dumbledore's voice. "Well, that is partially true. Familiars do indeed exist. However they are extremely rare. This is probably due to the extreme risk, and controversially little gain from going through with such a ritual. Familiars have a connection to their wizard or witch that goes much beyond that of a pet. In many ways a familiar and its wizard are a single entity. The familiar is simply an extension of the wizard's being. It is difficult for one to exist without the other."

"Is it dark magic?" Darren asked. Dumbledore's explanation had intrigued him. However what Dumbledore was planning with this talk of familiars interested him much more. "No, I would not say it is dark magic. I would call it forbidden magic, for the reasons I have just explained. I'm going to give you several books that have been withdrawn from the library. I will ask you to not speak openly about this, except for maybe a select few."

"How are familiars supposed to help me see? And…I'm not sure if you've forgotten professor. But I can't see. How am I supposed to read?" Darren said – obviously annoyed.

"It will come clear once you read further. That's when we will have our next meeting. And as for reading…I do hope you set a meeting with Professor McGonagall. Now, you should get going back to the common room. The students should be in bed now. A house elf from the kitchens will help guide you back to your room, there should be no problems after hours. After all, you are a prefect now." Dumbledore saw Darren's uncertainty when he mentioned his prefect status. "I do intend to keep with the decision to keep you as a Prefect Darren. Sight will come with time. I'll see you soon."

And with that, Darren was dismissed as he wobbily walked down the spiraling staircase and was greeted with a very squeaky voice "Is Mr. Luseppe ready to go back to the common room?" Darren smiled quietly to himself and nodded. "I'm Darren, what's your name?" Darren's question caught the house elf off guard, but answered with a smile from eat to ear on her face. Darren could not see the smile nor the extra skip in her step, but he could hear the happy inflection from her voice. "My name is Lena sir." Darren nodded then asked "Lena, can we go to the prefect bathroom instead of the common-room? I really want a bath…and I'm sure I can find my way back to the common-room." He was not positive; in fact he was quite worried. But Darren was not ready to go back and confront his peers yet. He hadn't talked to anyone but Ron, Harry, and Hermione since he reached Hogwarts, and was afraid of people's reactions. "Of course sir!" Lena said happily. Darren offered his hand and she took it. Her own hand as small as a baby's, Darren held her hand with the same gentility that he would with a baby.

They walked for what felt like ten minutes through the huge expanse of Hogwarts. Darren had never realized how truly large the castle was, however everything felt like it took longer when he was walking in darkness. Lena stopped and asked ,"We're here. Does Mr Luseppe want Lena to wait for him?" "No no, of course not. I'll make my way back. Thank you very much Lena." Darren smiled at her and she beamed back "If Mr. Luseppe ever needs Lena just say Lena's name and she will be there!" With a loud pop Lena disappeared and Darren was left alone.

Darren felt his way through the door and carefully opened it. There were dozens of smells of Rose, Lavender, and dozens of other smells he could not recognize. At first Darren was terrified of slipping and falling in the bath, but the sound of the water made it clear where the bath was. He began to unbutton his robes and was soon undressed. There was a moment of embarrassment when he asked himself "Is anyone here?" Of course there wasn't! He thought. He wasn't positive of what time it was but he could assume its late. Taking a seat on the tile floor he slowly slid into what felt like to be more of a pool than a bath. Darren allowed himself to relax and fall back into a sleep as the bubbles and sweet smells surrounded him.

Darren gasped quietly to himself after he woke up. He continued with the ritual of looking around feverishly before taking a great sigh of relief. "I must have fallen asleep." He thought after realizing the strong smells of the bath once again. He heard a small "Plip" from something entering the water and Darren immediately demanded "Who's there!" he could feel the water moving slowly in his direction "Its me" from a familiar voice. Darren could feel every muscle in his body relax as he felt water treading toward him.

Darren opened his mouth with a rush of emotions and began to say "Ron I'm –" but he stopped speaking. Darren felt Ron's hands move around and wrap themselves around him, pulling him closer. Darren's body reacted immediately as they both made contact. Ron could feel Darren against him and vice versa. Both of their reactions became evident within seconds. Darren put his hands on Ron's sides, his thumbs played with Ron's hip bones idly. "What are you doing?" Darren questioned, although his body language was perfectly clear that he was knew what Ron was doing.

Darren's feet balanced on Ron's and looked up at him. Their mouths connected as both of them felt a heat neither had experienced. It seemed to take a hold of them as they grabbed each other tightly trying to sustain this lust for touch that both of them had acquired. Darren couldn't help but let his hands roam all over Ron's now muscled body while they kissed so hard he seemed as though they were eating at each other's mouth. The sensation of Ron against him was almost too much for him to handle. With much effort, Darren broke away from the kiss, his hands playing over Ron's chest as Ron gave him a confused look.

"Where is all of this coming from?" Darren asked. "Not that I'm complaining…But I thought you fancied Fleur?"

"I wasn't sure what I wanted to be honest. But…now I do. That's you." Said Ron. He had put his forehead against Darren's, both of their bodies had turned hot from the water…and the contact. Ron spoke barely in a whisper. Ron's body shifted against Darren's and made Darren gasp. "Are you sure this is okay?" Darren asked. Ron simply nodded and went in for another kiss, and Darren happily obliged.


	5. Chapter 5

_Sooo its been forever since I updated! I suppose I just got caught up with University, but I have several chapters just sitting around so I'll be updating weekly, maybe faster for the next month. This chapter doesn't have much romance, its mostly just setting up for some later scenes._

_Hope you enjoy :D_

* * *

Warmth covered Darren's body as he reached the state between conscious and unconsciousness. He could feel the thick comforter hugging his body closely as he twisted and turned lazily. He let out a small moan as he extended his legs in one large stretch ; trying to stretch the fatigue away. Once he did this Darren soon remembered the night before. Darren wasn't sure how to feel, all he knew is that he had a weird sensation in his stomach when he thought about it ; something he had never experienced before. Before entirely succumbing to these thoughts Darren began to wack at the desk next to his bed relentlessly until he hit the clock Mrs. Weasely had given him. After a rough "thwap!" the clock let out a yelp and announced " It is now Nine O Three AM! All you need to do is tap! I'm not a bludger!" the clock lectured him.

_"Bollux!"_ Darren let out somewhere between a whisper and a yell. In a split second his covers in the air and he stood, welcomed by that dark mist day after day.

"S'alright Darren. We don't need to see McGonagall for another hour." Someone said. Darren couldn't be sure, the Scottish accent implied that it was Seamus.

"Oh. Good. Er..Thanks" Darren said awkwardly. Without being sure it was Seamus he chose to just omit the name. With a slight sigh Darren began to walk very slowly toward the cabinet containing his uniform. Each step he felt even more vulnerable, unable to see and nearly naked with only his drawers on. Seeing with his hands Darren finally reached the cabinet as his hands grazed over the cool wooden surface. Grabbing one of the knobs he opened it and patted his hands lightly until he felt the fabric of his neatly hung uniform and robes. While Darren began to withdraw the clothing and put it on he could feel other people in the room with him. Darren couldn't help but wonder who it was but couldn't find it in him to ask.

As Darren was getting dressed he was completely oblivious to the stares he was receiving. Both Seamus and Dean glanced at him occasionally ; the curiosity on their face obvious. They seemed intrigued at how he was managing, but somehow torn if they should offer their help. During Darren's absence at the great feast it had come apparent that whispers traveled between seeing him and the news of the prophet. Of course, Darren could only assume what was written in the prophet about his parents and him, he had been far too afraid to hear what they had written to ask. Rumor had it that Rita Skeeter had written the article, which was why Hermione had very tactfully avoided the subject thus far.

After Darren was confident he had gotten fully dressed and wasn't forgetting anything, he began toward what he feared most. The trip down to the great hall. He began to walk toward the exit before stopping dead in his tracks, remembering to bring his school supplies with him. Darren had grown keen on using _Locomotor_ to let his things follow him, so he could touch and feel freely. Darren tapped his wand against a pile of books and parchment and thought _Locomotor_ to himself. He knew that the books had began to float and would follow him freely. This was something he knew was discouraged, but had hoped that the professors would give him the benefit of the doubt on such a small act of disobedience.

Darren walked out of his bedroom and kept a firm grip on the stone railing that would eventually lead him into the Gryffindor common room. Darren had always been a shy person, but never exactly insecure. Without the ability to see he always wondered what people were doing or thinking of him, because there was no longer the visual ability to see their expressions. He truly feared walking into a room of people now. Darren knew that he would likely attract stares. And merlin's beard, what if he ran into a desk or something? At this rate it was highly likely and he hoped with all of his being that this would be a smooth encounter as he could feel his shoes remove themselves from the stone stairs, and onto the carpeted common room.

As he had feared there were whispers. He could only grasp bits and pieces of conversations but he was very confident that he certainly was the topic of atleast several gossiping girls to his right. Darren wondered where Ron, Hermione, and Harry had gone. He had a moment of worry, what if Ron was avoiding him because of what had happened the night before? He certainly didn't seem about it. Hell, He initiated it. Darren allowed his hands to trail across the walls of the common room, knowing he was taking a path very out of his way, however he was ensured to reach the exit. Darren could feel the roughness of wall paper scraping softly against the pads of his finger tips. With each painting that confronted him he moved his hand so it barely grazed the frame. He heard a girl laugh within earshot and couldn't help but feel paranoid that she was laughing at him.

After what had felt like years he reached the door to leave the commonroom. With a lot of effort he pushed the door open and continued very blindly down the staircase. With each flight of stairs Darren counted the level that they were on. _Un…Deux…Trois…Quatre_ Darren counted quietly to himself with each new set of stairs. One he had reached the fifth floor Darren clung to the wall and put his back to the rough stone and let out a deep sigh. Such a simple task had become _so_ frustrating. Every part of his bone ached to be able to see again. He had never felt such a strong longing for anything else in his life. _How am I going to be like this my whole life? _He asked himself. It was so piptful but he couldn't find the strength to find McGonagall's office. The thought that every time he walked around so blindly.

Darren knew that Mcgonagall's office was less than 20 meters away, and he could hear some of his classmates chatting about their classes. Darren allowed himself to inch closer to the group and took a seat on a row of benches that sat against the wall ; just outside of Mcgonagall's office. Letting out another sigh, he tapped his hands quietly against his knees while waiting anxiously for his name to be called.

"What do you mean, you _saw_ it happen?" Hermione asked in a hushed whisper.

"That night, My scar was hurting, and I saw two people get killed. They were…" Harry took a pause as he tried desperately to collect his thoughts. He let himself ooze back into the memory that replayed in his head every time he saw Darren.

"Well, they were Darren's parents. I didn't know it was them, They were asking for something but I didn't really understand what. And then I saw what they did to them. I never saw Darren though, so I didn't put it together until I got to your plance" He glanced in Ron's direction at the last statement.

Hermione had a look of horror on her face as Harry explained to her. Ron stayed kind of quiet next to Harry and appeared very contemplative about what he had said.

"Have you told the order? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't really get a chance. He was always around, or something was happening" Harry shrugged, uncertain of what to say.

"Well you need to say something. It might help find who did this to Darren and his parents. You need to stop hiding when your scar is hurting." Hermione's tone showing a faint annoyance.

Harry merely glared at her and poke some sausage moodily.

Darren had been sitting for what felt like hours. His hands gently caressed the bench feeling the unfamiliar cold against his hands. The chatter that had once filled the hall had ended in silence as nearly every other student had been called. Darren wondered quietly to himself why he was being called so late…Did she even know he was still attending Hogwarts?

_'Luseppe!'_ Mcgonagall howled from her office. By now Darren knew the drill after hearing the parade of names called before him. He had been waiting impatiently for an unknown amount of time, yet now that the opportunity was in front of him Darren was dreading the talks with McGonagall. Getting up probably took more effort than it should have since his mind was elsewhere. The sound of his shoes tapped quietly against the stone floors. Seeing with his hands, Darren could feel the end of the wall and took a turn into McGonagall's office. Alas, he had made there with little difficulty, but couldn't remember where to go from here. Its bizarre how once something so insignificant could turn into such an obstacle.

'Over here, Mr. Luseppe."

Darren nodded, walking with one hand casually in front of him trying to make it seem like he had a vague idea of where he was going. And then he felt the oh-so-familiar sound of a chair being bumped into. Yea, he's definitely sick of that sound. Taking his seat, Darren sat in silence doing nothing but rubbing his knuckles nervously. McGonagall sat staring at a piece of parchment with Darren's OWL scores. She'd been contemplating about his situation since she had first heard word of it. Very complicated, she wasn't sure how he'd adapt or how this would change his life at Hogwarts. As with most of her students, McGonagall felt very deeply for Darren. Minerva never had children, she didn't know how it would be possible. He left every bit of herself to her students and really cared for many of them as she would had she her own children. For this exact reason she felt a deep ache in her heart for Darren. She let out a hushed breath and began a similar speech that she had been reciting for most of this very long morning 'Well, Mr Luseppe. I have your OWL scores here. Where do you see yourself after your time at Hogwarts?"

"Um.." Darren hesitated. That was a difficult question. Had he been asked before this summer the answer it would have been a no brainer.

"I've had very little choice or desire to do anything but be a healer."

"What has attracted you to this profession, besides your obvious lineage?" Her tone inexplicably neutral

"Lineage has everything to do with it. I have an obligation to use the techniques taught to me."

McGonagall chose it was best to skip this topic for now, and began to read his transcripts yet again.

"Well, according to this you have top marks for everything required. For position at Mungo's you require an O in transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, and Herbology. It's a steep curve, as you know. Of course your grades more than qualify you. "

McGonagall paused for a moment and collected her thoughts.

"However, we both know there is an obstacle in your way."

Darren sat quietly and nodded. He knew what was coming.

"Not having for some of these courses not having sight will prove incredibly difficult, if not impossible. I'm willing to give you additional lessons after class if the need arises. As I'm sure most of the professors are willing to help….. I've heard you met with Dumbledore regarding the matter. " She left the fact as more of a question. Curious to what Darren had to say.

"Yes. He mentioned familiars." Darren said, somewhat excitedly. He still knew so little about them, yet was desperate for the opportunity.

"You ought to be sure if your decision. The magic Dumbledore spoke about is not tame magic Mr. Luseppe. Its best you recognize that. Until that day comes though, I have several things to show you."

With that there was a small crash which proved to be a rather large book being dropped in front of Darren. "I'd like you to read this to me, Mr. Luseppe."

Darren gave a look of utter confusion. He wasn't sure whether he should be hurt or offended. That quickly turned into an irritation which incited the response "You know I can't." through gritted teeth. McGonagall gave an impatient sigh "Wand out, Mr. Luseppe." After Darren had his want out she gave him but a couple of seconds before she said "Make a circular motion with your wand, flick, and say _Tactus Lego_."

"What does it do?"

"Just go on, you'll see soon enough."

Darren did as she instructed, once he finished saying the spell he expected _something_ to happen. Yet, there was nothing. McGonagall must have noticed the confusion on his face, because she quickly said "Now touch the book with your hand." It was a strange enough request that Darren was hesitant. However he eventually gave in and lightly touched the book.

There was a rush that Darren had never experienced before. Text shot through his mind's eye and seemed to implant themselves into his memory. He slowly moved his fingers across the parchment feeling every tactile sensation it had to offer. With each movement words forged themselves in his brain and soon the words were becoming sentences, the sentences paragraphs, and paragraphs turning into chapters. He was reading about familiars, McGonagall must have intentionally chosen this part of the book. Darren was shocked at how quickly he was literally absorbing the information, he was so mesmerized by this that the professor had to call his name several times before he heard her voice.

"Well, what are you reading?"

"Um…Familiars. It's an imprint of the soul being placed into an animal. Separate entities yet the same….I don't understand."

"Well…magic such as this that deals with the soul is very complex, and often forbidden magic. Because of this it is very rarely used and typically carries high risks or consequences. In the case of creating a familiar, you are…summarizing, if you will, your soul into a separate entity. Because of this both familiar and wizard are a single being yet separate. One cannot live without the other once the spell is complete. There are also few things to gain by this, which is why they have been such a rare occurrence."

"What do I have to gain that others do not?"

"To be honest, I'm uncertain. However…Albus is confident that you will be able to see through the familiar. Be sure you understand that although Dumbledore is nearly certain about this, it is not fact. And certainly is not tested."

"How long does it take to…um…make a familiar?" Darren asked. Answers to any questions is a new change for him, and he intended to find out as much as possible about familiars.

"Surprisingly, the process itself is not long. It wouldn't take more than a night. However, it is an incredibly exhausting process…" McGonagall let her opinions on the matter be more than clear. Although Darren utterly respected her, thoughts of his future familiar could not escape his thoughts.

"well, it seems you have already decided…Read further on the texts we've given you. After you've finished, you can go see Dumbledore once you've reached your decision. Off you go."

Darren smiled "Thank you, professor." He said sincerely.


End file.
